Extramural Coordinated Funding

UM Submission Instructions: Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC) 2025

Sponsor:	National Science Foundation (NSF)
Award Title:	Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC)
Amount:	$3 Million to $4.5 Million Individual MRSEC awards are expected to range in size from approximately $3 million/year for a 2-IRG MRSEC to a maximum of $4.5 million/year for a 3-IRG MRSEC. Awards will be made for an initial duration of up to six years, but the level of funding is contingent on successful Center progress and the outcome of external review(s). Awards are based on comprehensive, competitive merit review. Proposals from existing (re-competing) MRSECs will be evaluated in open competition with new proposals.
UM Deadline:	02/07/2025
Sponsor Deadline:	06/23/2025
Description:	The nature of materials research demands mechanisms to support cross-cutting collaborations for the conception and execution of ideas, and for developing the capabilities to sustain our nation's competitiveness in the production of new technology and products based on advances in materials research. Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSECs) are expected to contribute to the development of a diverse and globally competitive scientific workforce for increased economic competitiveness of the United States. Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC) are supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation to undertake materials research of a scope and complexity otherwise not feasible through traditional funding of individual research projects. The MRSEC program demonstrates NSF's commitment to excellence in research and education; it complements, but does not substitute for, NSF support for individual investigators, small groups, national user facilities, and instrumentation in materials research; and it is national in scope, encouraging coordination of the overall e ort among Centers. More information about MRSECs may be found at https://www.mrsec.org . Awards are based on comprehensive, competitive merit review. Proposals from existing (re-competing) MRSECs will be evaluated in open competition with new proposals; the re-competing MRSEC’s prior accomplishments must be described in the Results from Prior NSF Support section of the preliminary and full proposals and will be an important consideration. The commitment of each Center to introduce substantially new research topics and undertake innovative research will also be important in considering re-competing proposals. If a proposal from an existing center is successful, a new cooperative agreement will be awarded for the center.
Number of Applicants University is Allowed to submit:	1
Additional Requirements:	None
Sponsor Guidelines:	https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/mrsec-materials-research-science-engineering-centers/nsf25-532/solicitation?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
UM Nominations Process:	This opportunity is being coordinated by the University of Minnesota MRSEC. The internal due date for proposals has passed. Please contact the MRSEC center with any questions. UMN MRSEC
Peer Review Coordination:	Research and Innovation Office contact email
Status:	The internal deadline has passed with no applicants. Contact us if interested.
Please note:	To be considered for peer review and internal selection, faculty must follow the above submission guidelines and meet the UM deadline as set by the office coordinating the peer review for this opportunity.

General Information

Each posting has information about the external sponsor and opportunity as well as the internal application instructions.
Opportunities can be sorted by column headings; just click on the heading to re-sort by that column.
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If you know of an opportunity that is not on the list, please contact Kristin Mead.

Internal Requirements

Sponsor: Name of funder.
Award Title: Funding opportunity nameAmount: Range/Maximum dollar amount awarded.
UMN Deadline: Submission deadline for internal proposal as determined by the coordinating office.
Sponsor Deadline: External deadline identified by the sponsor.
Description: General information about the sponsor and the funding opportunity. Usually describes the purpose of the funding opportunity, overview of what the sponsor is looking for, including distinctive criteria. This is not meant to take the place of the sponsor guidelines; please read the sponsor guidelines before deciding to apply.
Number of Applicants University is Allowed to Submit: The maximum number of applications the sponsor will allow the university to submit.
Additional Requirements: Identifies any special requirements such as cost sharing, partners, etc.
Sponsor Guidelines: Link to the sponsor’s funding opportunity website.
UMN Nominations Process: Contains specific internal submission requirements including internal proposal instructions, deadline, eligibility, internal nomination process, contact information.
Peer Review Coordination: The name and contact email of the office coordinating the funding opportunity. RIO coordinates most limited submissions, but opportunities coordinated by other offices or programs are also posted on this webpage.
Status:
- Open: UM deadline has not passed and the opportunity is open for application.
- Forecasted: The funder has not yet formally published the opportunity. The deadline has yet to be determined.
- Archived: The opportunity has been archived by the funder.
- Spots Remaining: UMN deadline has passed, with some applicant spots still available. Contact collabor@umn.edu if interested
- First-Come, First-Served: Applicants accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact collabor@umn.edu if interested
- Contact Us: The internal deadline has passed, but no applicants were selected. Please contact the office coordinating the peer review for more information.
- In Review: Peer review process is in progress for the opportunity.
- PI Selected: The PI(s) have been selected as the official UMN nominees.
- Closed: UMN is no longer accepting applications.

UMN Selection Process

Once the internal deadline has passed, if the number of applicants is less than or equal to the number of spots the university is allowed to send forward, the applicants automatically become the UMN nominee(s).
If the status of an opportunity is "First-Come, First-Served", there was not time to hold an internal review. Applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
If there are no applicants, the status will change to "Contact Us". At this point, the opportunity changes to a first-come, first-served opportunity.
If there are multiple applicants, the office coordinating the nomination will determine the review criteria and coordinate the review process. The status will change to "In Review".
Once the review has been completed all parties will be notified via email.
Nominees will be provided with an email from RIO (or the designated coordinating office) indicating that they are the university's nominee. This letter should accompany the nominee's proposal.
SPA is notified of the university's nominee(s) and the status is updated to "PI(s) Selected".

*If you have questions about the University's process related to extramural funding opportunities requiring nomination or if you have any technical issues with the site, contact collabor8@umn.edu.